Erase My Mind
by wayward lover
Summary: When Dally met Houston he wasn't yet bitter. He was cold and a bit rough around the edges but not bitter. ONE-SHOT. Ties in with 'Hey Dally'.


_**Redesign me, state of the art**__**  
><strong>__**Erase my mind, replace my heart**__**  
><strong>__**I wanna start over.**___

___**Redefine me, take me apart**__**  
><strong>__**Change my mind, change my heart**__**  
><strong>__**And let me start over.**__**  
><strong>_  
><strong>July 4<strong>**th**** 1959**

I grinned and grabbed my mom's hand, it was the fourth of July and momma was taking me out to the fair and to see the fireworks. This would be my first time because daddy didn't like fireworks, he told momma they were stupid and that we couldn't go see 'em. But daddy had too much to drink and passed out in his recliner so momma took the chance and snuck us out for the afternoon and night. I grinned up at her, she was a great mom. She had to deal with daddy everyday but still managed to let me do things I wanted to do. Daddy was scary and I don't think that I'd be able to sneak away with my kid, daddy scared me a lot. Sometimes he yelled at mom so loud that the windows started to rattle and other times he hit her.

He was a bad daddy. I hated him.

"Honey, I'm gonna get your tickets for the rides. Why don't you go over with the Curtis's and wait for me, yeah?"

I nodded. I loved Mrs. and Mr. Curtis. I also loved hangin' out with Darry, Soda, and sometimes Ponyboy. Ponyboy was still only eight and still liked little kid things. I was ten know, no time for little kids things like tag and hide 'n go seek. I liked dressing up my Barbies and playing with momma's make-up.

"Hey, Houston!" they all said cheerily.

I looked over the group, Steve and Two-Bit where also here and Johnny. But that's not what caught my attention. There was a blonde-headed boy there, too. His hair was so blonde, it could've passed for white. He had almost a elfish face a his hair, surprisingly—wasn't greased.

"Hey, who are you?" I asked the blonde, giving him a smile. I loved making new friends.

"Dallas Winston." He said shakily, in a thick New York accent. I've never met a New Yorker before.

"I'm Houston Cassidy. That's cool we're both named after a city in Texas, weird huh?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "Weird."

I frowned at his lack of enthusiasm. What's wrong with him?

My momma came back with our tickets and we all went in a group to the ferris wheel. Dallas ain't much of a talker and it kinda disappointed me. I was hopin' for a new friend.

The line up to the ferris wheel was long and I was standing behind Dallas. His hair was real cute, but I couldn't help thinkin' was it even real? Did he bleach it? It seemed _too _blonde.

"Hey Dallas?"

"Yeah?" he said in monotone. This boy…

"Is that your real hair? Or is it fake?"

Two-Bit snickered same with Sodapop. Mr. Curtis grinned but Dallas glared. A deathly scary glare. It reminded me of the ones my daddy gave everyone.

"Yes it's my real hair! I ain't one of those weird guys that bleach it. Christ. Why you don't like it?"

I grinned, must've hit a nerve.

"No, it's real tuff, Dallas."

He grinned at that and gave me a curt nod before turning back around, giving his ticket to the man. I bein' right behind Dallas I passed my ticket to the man, too.

"You can get in the car with your blonde-headed friend, sweetheart."

"Thank you, sir."

I jumped in the car Dallas was sat in and waited for the ride to start. I was a little bit scared though, heights weren't my thing. My stomach was a bit nervous when the ferris wheel started spinning. I turned to Dallas to make conversation and not focus on how high we were going.

"So, how old are you, Dallas?" I asked.

"I'm eleven, you?"

"I'm ten! Finally double digits!" I squealed.

Dallas's lips twitched trying to hold back a smile.

"Are you always this excited?" I nodded and smiled cheekily, he shook his head at me, a smile on his face. _I got him to smile, twice!_

"So why'd you come to Tulsa? You must be new 'cause I've never seen you before. Plus you got a New York accent."

Dallas grunted and stayed silent for a minute.

"I was in jail, been in there since I was ten. Just got out last month." He said not meeting my eye; he seemed quite shaken up about it.

"And my old man moved us down here to 'keep me out of trouble'"

I only met one other person who had been in jail and he wasn't a bad man at all. Mr. Curtis had been in jail before, for stealing and street fighting, sure Mr. Curtis had been fifteen when he did it and not ten. But what's the difference, he was still gone to jail and he turned out okay. There was no reason to fear Dallas.

"Is jail _scary_?" I dared to ask.

Dallas looked down at his feet and gulped. His eyes were watery but he never let one tear fall. I think he wanted to seem tough, so I never pointed it out. Dallas could keep his tough image if he wanted. I mean when you go to jail at ten, you must come out a bit different, somewhat tougher. But he didn't seem _bitter_ yet. Still semi-normal.

"Yeah, spending time in jail is hella' scary."

I could imangine; locked behind metal bars, sharing a cell with strangers. The fuzz hollerin' at you whenever they got the chance. Seemed scary to me, just thinking about it. Dallas was only a year older than me and he had experienced it firsthand.

"You know what, Dally? I'm gonna be your friend. You seem like you need one."

Dallas smirked at me.

"You called me Dally." I giggled.

"I guess I did. I like it better, Dallas is so formal, y'know?"

Dallas 'Dally' cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing.

"How is Dallas, formal?"

"Sounds like a Soc name." I shrugged; it did sound like a Soc name. And those Soc's were horrible, no friend of mine is gonna have a Soc name.

"What's a Soc?"

I laughed, I totally forgot Dallas was new to Tulsa. So for the rest of the ferris wheel ride, I explained what a Soc and a Greaser was. I degraded the Soc's as much as possible using things like 'gross', 'mean', 'evil'. Anything in a ten year olds vocabulary that meant dumb, stupid, and idiotic. But when I got to Greaser, I talked them up as much as I could. Gotta take pride in where you're from.

"If you're a Greaser you gotta be tough, and you must be loyal to your fellow Greasers. No matter how much you hate that guy or gal, you help them out. The east side Greasers are like a family. Those damn Soc's don't stand a chance against us let me tell you. We're stronger, tougher and know how to get dirty."

"I'm sure a Greaser. You're right, those Socials seem horrible."

"They are." I scowled, remember how Cherry Valence stole my favorite Barbie on the last day of school. She has all the money I could only wish for and she stole my doll!

I must've muttered that aloud because Dallas was chuckling.

"It's just a doll, doll." I pouted at him.

"It was not just a doll; it was _my favorite_ Barbie doll."

And that sent him into another fit of laughter.

* * *

><p>My momma and the rest of the group went off alone, tellin' me and Dallas to stay together. I had no problem with that I really liked hangin' out with Dallas. He was a little rough around the edges but he was a cool guy. He had every right to be a bit cold, he just got out of jail. I think that's why I liked him so much, he was different than the other people I knew, he was tougher than most.<p>

"C'mon, Dally." I yelled grabbing his hand.

"Let head to the field to see the fireworks!"

It was finally dark and they were setting the fireworks off now. This would be my first time witnessing fireworks other than from my bedroom window.

"_1..2...3!" _Chanted the crowd.

Fireworks were really loud and they sounded like gunshots and I think Dallas thought that too, because when the first few went off he flinched. I frowned, what exactly had this boy been through? It must've been a lot. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. His body seemed to become less tense.

"Things will get better, I'm sure about it, Dally."

And for the third time that day, Dallas Winston smiled at me. I didn't know then that I was very rarely ever get to see him smile again. I also didn't know then that this guy would become one of the most important people in my life. Then, we were only kids. We both didn't know hardly anything.


End file.
